North Sea Region
Encyclopedia
The North Sea Region refers to European countries and regions bordering the North Sea. Cultural and economic cooperation have a strong tradition in the area, dating back to the Vikings and the Hanseatic League
.
Although not a formally established entity, in political terms the North Sea Region is consolidated through international organisations like the North Sea Commission
and transnational cooperation programmes like the North Sea Region Programme
of the European Union
.
and Västra Götaland in Sweden, the three Danish regions of Nordjylland, Midtjylland and Syddanmark, parts of northern Germany, the Netherlands and north western France as well as counties and authorities from eastern England and Scotland
.
of Belgium, the north western regions of Germany, the northern and western parts of the Netherlands and the south western region of Sweden. Geographically, the region is connected by the large sea basin of the North Sea
.
(1.5 inhabitants/km2) in Norway to densely inhabited urban centres like the German city of Hamburg
(2,243 inhabitants/km2).
Currently, the economic structure of the regions bordering the North Sea is undergoing considerable changes, such as shrinking labour markets in the agriculture and fisheries sector and decline in old industrialised areas.
Hanseatic League
The Hanseatic League was an economic alliance of trading cities and their merchant guilds that dominated trade along the coast of Northern Europe...
.
Although not a formally established entity, in political terms the North Sea Region is consolidated through international organisations like the North Sea Commission
North Sea Commission
The North Sea Commission is an international organization founded in 1989. It facilitates partnerships between regions connected with the North Sea and promotes the North Sea Basin as an economic entity within Europe....
and transnational cooperation programmes like the North Sea Region Programme
North Sea Region Programme
- North Sea Region Programme 2007-2013 :The North Sea Region Programme 2007-2013 supports transnational regional development projects connecting regions from seven countries around the North Sea. It is part of the European Territorial Cooperation Objective under the European Regional Development...
of the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
.
North Sea Commission
The partnership of the North Sea Commission consists of most Norwegian municipalities, the regions HallandHalland
' is one of the traditional provinces of Sweden , on the western coast of Sweden. It borders Västergötland, Småland, Scania and the sea of Kattegat.-Administration:...
and Västra Götaland in Sweden, the three Danish regions of Nordjylland, Midtjylland and Syddanmark, parts of northern Germany, the Netherlands and north western France as well as counties and authorities from eastern England and Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
.
North Sea Region Programme – Cooperation Area
The North Sea Region (NSR), as defined in the Operational Programme of the North Sea Region Programme 2007–2013, covers an area of 664,000 km2. It consists of the whole of Norway and Denmark, the eastern parts of the UK, parts of the Flemish RegionFlemish Region
The Flemish Region is one of the three official regions of the Kingdom of Belgium—alongside the Walloon Region and the Brussels-Capital Region. Colloquially, it is usually simply referred to as Flanders, of which it is the institutional iteration within the context of the Belgian political system...
of Belgium, the north western regions of Germany, the northern and western parts of the Netherlands and the south western region of Sweden. Geographically, the region is connected by the large sea basin of the North Sea
North Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
.
Population
Based on the cooperation area of the North Sea Region Programme, about 60 million inhabitants (2003) live in the North Sea Region.. The population density of the region varies widely, ranging from sparsely populated areas like FinnmarkFinnmark
or Finnmárku is a county in the extreme northeast of Norway. By land it borders Troms county to the west, Finland to the south and Russia to the east, and by water, the Norwegian Sea to the northwest, and the Barents Sea to the north and northeast.The county was formerly known as Finmarkens...
(1.5 inhabitants/km2) in Norway to densely inhabited urban centres like the German city of Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
(2,243 inhabitants/km2).
Economy
The North Sea Region belongs to the most prosperous parts of the European Union. The average level of GDP across the region was € 28,516 per capita in 2002. The unemployment rate is below the EU average in most areas. However, there are notable differences concerning economic performance and employment between the areas in the North Sea Region.Currently, the economic structure of the regions bordering the North Sea is undergoing considerable changes, such as shrinking labour markets in the agriculture and fisheries sector and decline in old industrialised areas.